For all of you US based testers out there who are passionate about the fine art of software testing, you ought to consider attending the Association for Software Testing’s 2011 conference (CAST2011). The event will take place from 8/8 – 8/10 in Washington State and will focus on context-driven testing (analytical testing that relies on the wisdom, experience and teamwork skills of the tester as framed by the organizational environment within which he/she operates).

The conference is open to 250 testers but as of the time of this writing there are only 150 slots left. The conference’s entrance fee for existing members is $900 ($1,100 for non-members). You can also choose to take advantage of some additional tutorials at the event for an additional fee (an additional $500 for members, $600 for non-members). Yes it is pricey, but highly valuable. And if you work for a larger organization, you might also be able to get your company to pay for you to attend.

Although the event is not officially sponsored by the ISEB or ISTQB, context-driven methodologies represent the next wave of testing in our increasingly chaotic world, and as such this knowledge will be a valuable addition to your software testing toolbox. The core principles of CDT can be leveraged to enhance your skill set and boost your career. To learn more details about CDT, click here. To register for the conference, click here.

Aside from the learning, attendees also benefit from networking opportunities. Several industry heavyweights will be in attendance, such as Jon Bach, James Bach, and Harry Robinson from Microsoft, to name a few. The bottom line is that this would be an incredibly valuable conference for you to attend, especially if you can get your company to foot the bill. As they say, knowledge is power, and it is events like this one that truly have the potential to catapult your knowledge base into the stratosphere.